Begin Again
by Scouse
Summary: They were lost even before they got on that fateful flight. Will they have better luck getting found if they never actually get on? Shayid eventually. AU fic.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Begin Again   
Rating: PG-13 for now, may increase if continued

Pairing: Eventually Shannon/Sayid

Summary: They were lost even before they got on that fateful flight. Will they have better luck getting found if they never actually get on? 

Warnings: Some language

Status of fic: WIP if it's contiuned

Author's Notes: I've been toying with this idea for an AU for a while now. Though I'm unsure whether or not it's worth continuing it. Comments and criticism especially would be very helpful.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just playing with it for my own amusement. I'll put them all back where I found them when I've finished!

**Begin Again.**

The queue was a slow one. Agonizingly slow. Winding out before him as he stood near it's rear. Creeping his way closer to the departures gate, inch by insufferable inch.

He sighed, hefting his bag a little higher onto his shoulders, irritation at both the delay and the dubious glances being shot his way by the airport security staff, lancing through him. Their gazes made him uncomfortable, made him sweat though he knew that he had nothing to worry about. Made him act suspiciously beneath their stares and that in turn only made them watch him with more intensity. A vicious circle. A circle of viciousness and he was trapped within it, all because of a stupid miscalculation on his part. His trust carelessly placed in a single young woman who had then betrayed that trust and put him in a black mood to say the least. He had been naïve to think that he could trust anyone besides himself, to think that perhaps racial prejudice had not reached as far as Sydney when it obviously had.

Silently he vowed that he would be less ready to place his faith blindly in another person. He would not be making the same mistake again.

A cacophony of clatters, tinkles and hissed curses drew him out of his furious thoughts and Sayid was barely able to stop in time to keep himself from colliding with the man in front of him as the queue once again ground to a halt. He shifted slightly, trying to see over the line of heads and get a better view of what was holding them up.

All he wanted was to get onto the plane. Just to get on and for the flight to be over and done with so that he would not have to set foot in another airport again for a very long time.

"St!" the woman hissed again, several places ahead of him in the queue. The contents of her handbag spilled carelessly across the floor, evoking mumbles of frustrated complaint from those waiting behind her and she stooped out of Sayid's view, cursing again and more profanely. "Boone, wait up!"

He was not much older than she was, the young man that she had called to and was presumably travelling with. He paused mid-stride and turned, glancing over his shoulder, his startlingly blue eyes turning cold and disinterested as an impatient frown quirked his eyebrows down.

"Come on, Shannon, you're holding up the whole goddamn line!" he replied impatiently, though he made no move, no attempt to help her.

Sayid was left with the distinct impression that the young man was less than pleased with the delay and he had to smother a smirk behind his hand, almost expecting the youth to begin tapping his foot in his irritation.

The woman's reply was lost, swallowed by the noise as people began stepping past her, trampling over her scattered belongings, intent merely on themselves and getting to their seats on the plane. It seemed to Sayid that not only where there people prejudiced against those different than themselves, but also to each other and he shook his head, dropping to one knee when he reached her side instead of simply stepping over her.

"Here," he murmured, hands deftly retrieving the make-up and now shattered compact mirror. "Let me help you."

"Thanks." she muttered in response but she didn't look up, too busy trying to stuff some more personal effects out of his sight and making Sayid's cheeks flush with embarrassment.

It took barely a scattering of minutes for the pair of them to return her belongings to their rightful place in her bag and she scowled up at the backs of the passengers who continued to stride past them, ignoring them entirely.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep on walking…_assholes_!" she growled beneath her breath, shooting her young male companion a dark look as well as she zipped her bag closed finally. "Hey, thanks for that." she turned to Sayid as the exact moment that he looked up.

Their eyes locked, dark, deep brown to shining amber, shock registering on both of their faces as the stood up in tandem.

"_You_?" Sayid managed to choke out from his constricting throat as he attempted to keep his temper from spiralling out of control.

"What?" she demanded in response, a coolness replacing the sincerity that had been in her gaze split-seconds previously. She clutched her arms across her chest, effectively creating a protective barrier between him and her.

Sayid's anger flared again as she tossed her blonde hair away from her face and inspected the dirt, or lack thereof, beneath her finger nails, feigning nonchalance.

"You!" he spat again and that time it was not a question. His eyes flashed dangerously and she seemed to sense it, glancing up at him once more. "I asked you to watch my bag for little more than a few minutes and I find myself being taken in for questioning!"

Her golden eyes flickered with what might have been remorse for the briefest of seconds before she raised her chin, her expression daring him to argue with her, goading him on.

"So, you shouldn't leave your bag with strangers." she responded, sneer curling her lips at the corners ever so slightly as if she were trying to stop it from spreading across her beautiful features.

"True." he returned, like lightening, eyes warily glancing over at her young male companion who was making his way back towards them reluctantly. "Yet that does not give you the right to report me to security." he shook his head, giving a humourless, incredulous laugh.

"Is everything all right?" the young man demanded rather than asked as he stopped beside her. His piercing blue eyes remained directed at Sayid, however. No concern for the young woman entered his tone, only a warning. A warning that laced through his voice and was intended for Sayid. His arm curled about her shoulders, more possessive than protective.

"I'm _fine_, Boone. Just go get our seats on the plane." she snapped, shirking his embrace away and surprisingly stepping closer to Sayid.

He knew how to read people, having spent most of his working life as an interrogator, and something in the back of his mind told him that this girl felt more comfortable in the presence of him, the man accusing her of reporting him to the airport security, than the man she was travelling with, be he boyfriend or husband or family member.

She turned her gaze back to Sayid and the hard, emotionless mask reappeared suddenly, hiding her discomfort from both men entirely.

"They give out warnings and stuff." she stated and for a moment he had not a clue what she was talking about. "They put up posters telling you what to do if someone tries to leave their bag with you, or you see someone leaving one unattended. They _tell _you to alert someone! I was being a good citizen!" she finished with another flick of her silky hair, her face triumphant even if she did sound like she was trying to justify her actions to herself.

"Leave it, Shannon." the man tried again to get her attention, tried again to wrap and arm about her shoulders and steer her away from Sayid, and again she shrugged his hands off her as if they scalded her skin.

"I said I can _deal_, Boone!" she spat, narrowing her eyes at him. "Wait for me on the stupid plane!"

Boone shook his head in frustration but she did not see for she had already turned her attention back onto Sayid, her anger heightened by the fact that she was being attack from both sides. She was fenced in.

"Those posters are concerning terrorism." Sayid took the chance to respond, his tone even and his eyes chary as he watched her studying him, her perfectly shaped eyebrows drawn down into a frown.

"Yeah," her smile was false and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "You ever thought that maybe leaving your bag with someone you don't know is acting a little bit like a terrorist?"

Fury boiled within him anew, turning the blood in his veins to liquid fire as he grit his teeth together so hard that he thought they might shatter. Is she had been a man, he would have knocked her out.

"Jesus Christ, Shan!" Boone exclaimed, hand pressed to his forehead in panic, noting the stoic expression upon her face before quickly turning back to Sayid. "Look, Man. She didn't mean that!"

"Oh, she meant it!" Sayid growled, his stare not wavering from the woman's amber glare, only serving to fluster Boone more.

"Listen, I'm sorry. Okay? What's it going to take, y'know, to end this?" he fumbled in his jeans pocket for a few moments, retrieving his wallet and pulling out a wad of paper-money, counting out the fifty dollar bills. "A hundred? _Two_?" he raised his eyebrows enquiringly at Sayid, seemingly perfectly at ease despite the fact that he was attempting to buy the Iraqi man's silence.

Fury rushed beneath his skin once more but before he could bite out his livid refusal, they woman's voice rang out clear and harsh in the same moment, drawing both Sayid's and Boone's stares back to her.

"I don't _need_ your money to get out of this, Boone, and I don't need your_ help_ either!"

Something passed between them as they stood glaring at each other. Something bitter and unresolved but she simply brushed her blonde hair from her face and turned her back to him.

"Get on the plane."

Perhaps it was because it was the third time that she had demanded he leave. Perhaps it was the withering glare that had accompanied her fierce words prior to her turned back. Whichever it was, it caused Boone's face to tighten, his jaw to clench.

"Fine." he snorted out, returning his money and his wallet back to his pocket. He spun on his heel, not sparing a second glance for either of them before striding away through the departures gate and disappearing as she had insisted harshly.

She seemed relieved that he had gone, her shoulders that had been tense and hunched before, relaxed and she stood to her full height, uncurling from a protective ball almost.

"Do you have any _idea_ how humiliating it is to be searched? To be dragged away in front of the _entire_ airport? To have your bag emptied out for _inspection_?" he queried and she remained silent, lips pursed together as her eyes watched him, taking in his face, his emotions, his eyes.

"Do you!" he demanded again and her staunch façade wavered a little more.

"Look," she sighed, rubbing at her temple with long, well manicured fingers. "I don't know what you want from me. I did something stupid that I thought was right, so sue me!" her tone was brash but not nearly as cutting as it had been before and Sayid found himself relaxing somewhat.

"If you had a problem you could have simply refused me." he watched her face intently, the cold mask that had been placed there, slipping slightly and she hugged her arms to herself a little more.

"I'm sorry, okay? What more can I do? I can't change what I did. I'd take it back if I could!" her voice wavered in the air, unintentionally and Sayid found himself sighing, taking pity on the young woman before him. It was not really fair of him to shout at her so, like he was, and in public.

"I accept your apology." he murmured, extending his hand towards her and her eyes flickered to it apprehensively before she tentatively placed her own hand in his.

"Okay." she mumbled back, shaking his hand, relief washing over her features.

"And you are welcome." he added with a small smile tingling upon his lips.

"For what?" she queried, seeming shocked with his sudden display of calmness, almost as if she had expected him to continue with another verbal lashing.

"For helping you with your bag." he released her hand, motioning to where her belongings had strewn the floor moments before.

"Oh. Yeah. Right." she responded, tucking more stray strands of hair behind her ear. "Thanks again…what's your name?" she turned her head towards him as he once again shouldered his black hold-all, the cause of their problems to begin with, and they headed together towards the check in gate for their flight.

"Sayid Jarrah." he offered. "And yours?"

"Shannon. Shannon Rutherford and that idiot with the cash was my brother…_step_-brother, Boone." she paused to flash another glance at his face. "But I guess you already knew that, from the way that I was yelling at him."

Sayid chuckled politely, nodded his head with mild interest.

"You have a very pretty name, Shannon." he replied, turning the conversation away from her step-brother, for he had noted the dark look that had passed through her golden eyes when she had mentioned him. Something obviously had occurred between them to make her so adverse to speaking about her step-sibling fondly, as most would.

"Thanks." she replied, breaking him from his contemplation, and rewarding him with the first true smile that he had seen gracing her lips, though she looked slightly flustered at being complemented by the very man that she had shopped to security barely an hour before hand. But then her smile turned into a teasing smirk. "I would say that 'Sayid' is a pretty name, but I don't think that you'd be very pleased with that."

Sayid found himself still laughing by the time they had approached the desk and he tried to stifle it as he turned to the woman sat behind it, dressed in the uniform of the airport staff.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Madam. The boarding for this flight close five minutes ago." she stated even before Sayid had opened his mouth to speak.

"_What_!" Shannon demanded at his side. "No! We were right _there_!" she waved her hand back in the direction that they had come form.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but the call did go out on the over-head speakers _numerous_ times for you to-"

"_Bullst_!" Shannon hissed, the anger that Sayid had witnessed focused upon himself and her brother moments ago, suddenly and completely aimed at the woman sat behind the desk. She slapped her palm down, drawing stares from nearby customers and travellers. "We would have _heard_-"

"I assure you that the calls did go out." the woman replied, cutting her off with irritation lacing her words.

"My _brother_ is on that plane! He got on like _two_ minutes ago!" Shannon continued to protest.

"Then your _brother_ is on his way to L.A.X, _Madam_." the receptionist replied through gritted teeth and false smile alike. "And he passed through here _seven _and a_ half _minutes ago to be precise!"

oOo 

Review and you'll make me the happiest little scouser on the planet!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own any of it!

Author's note: Be warned that this has not turned out how I wanted it to. It's all very static-y and I may go back and rewrite it at a later date. I don't know what happened to me with this one. I guess Shannon and Sayid did not feel like being written today. Oh well, it is just a transitionary chapter. I hope you enjoy it anyway. And apologies now for any typos.

Again constructive crit would make me day!

**Chapter 2.**

"I can book you both onto the next available flight out." the woman behind the desk announced, painted red finger nails clacking against her computer keyboard as she spoke. "However, you will have to purchase new tickets and we are unable to offer you a refund since your delay was not a fault of Oceanic Air."

"The plane is still sat out there on the runway!" Shannon snorted incredulously, her arms folded across her chest as she glanced down at the receptionist scathingly. "How can you say that it's not your fault, when you won't let us get on! We're barely even late!"

Sayid, from his place at the tall blonde's side, noted the steely look flit through the receptionist's eyes and he could tell that Shannon was dangerously close to becoming acquainted with the airport security as he had been previously that day. He also knew that it was a less than pleasant experience and while a small, darker part of him wanted her to find out exactly what her actions had sentenced him to, what it had been like for him to go through such an experience, the greater, more forgiving part of him wished to save her from certain humiliation.

"What time does the next flight available leave?" he queried smoothly, drawing an disbelieving stare from the American girl at his shoulder.

"The next flight after this is fully booked." the airport employee mused, eyes trained once more upon her computer screen, a myriad of taps and clicks ensuing as she set about doing her job. The light from the terminal made the tension filled air shimmer electric blue between the three of them. "It's possible a seat may become available, but that is only a slight likelihood. That one leaves at approximately four forty five this afternoon. The Q187 flight to L.A.X…It may be worth you checking back then to see if there are any available seats." she paused again, frowning at the computer and Shannon beside Sayid, huffed her impatience out in a short sigh, tapping her forefinger upon the counter top. "I can get you onto a flight to London that leaves in an hour and a half. You'd be changing planes in Singapore and again in London, Heathrow. From there you would have to take another plane across to L.A.-"

"I don't want to go to London or Singapore." Shannon responded immediately, eyes narrowed once more in her ire. "I need to get to L.A."

The receptionist shot her a withering glare in return and the hostility between the two crackled through the air like lightening.

"I also need to get to Los Angeles directly." Sayid appeased, once more smoothing over the hot-headed words of the woman that he suddenly found as his companion. He splayed his hands out across the counter top, allowing a little desperation to creep into his tone as he spoke.

He had no idea what exactly made Shannon so keen to get straight to L.A. but he felt the same. He would rather wait the extra hours for a flight straight to his destination, rather than having to endure the suspicious stares and quite possibly more searches of an extra two airports.

"When can we expect to get onto a flight directly to where we are going?"

The receptionist shook her head slowly, almost as if she thought they were both insane for turning down the option of a faster route of travel in favour of sitting in Sydney Airport for hours, but she again searched for the information that Sayid had requested.

"The final L.A.X. flight is this evening. 23:50." she announced, turning her gaze, eyebrows raised enquiringly, expectantly, to Sayid. "Shall I transfer you to that flight?"

"Yes. Yes, thank you." he replied with a smile, dipping his head in a single nod of gratitude and their gazes turned in time to Shannon who had folder her arms atop the service counter once more.

"And you, Madam?" the woman asked, her voice once again becoming wary as she addressed the younger, blonde.

"I don't suppose I've got much of a choice." she responded her own tone flat as she moved to rummage through her handbag, silken hair curtaining her face from view as she set about her task. "So, what's the damage going to be?" she didn't bother to look up as she spoke. Only after a lengthy pause of confused silence did she halt in her actions and return her glance to the receptionist. "What's it going to cost?" she illuminated with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.

The other woman did not seem to concur, however, and she blinked her eyes slowly, drawing patience in with the deep breath that she sucking in through her nostrils.

"A one way ticket to Los Angeles from Sydney is eight hundred and sixty five dollars. We only have seats in the economy class left, I'm afraid but it's your only definite option for leaving for L.A tonight."

Shannon cursed harshly beneath her breath and fingered her purse, her eyes glazing over slightly as she paused in her irate motions.

"Do you take plastic?" she asked, eyebrows rising as she held a credit card forwards between her forefingers.

The receptionist nodded, reaching forwards for the card and flipping it over as she entered Shannon's details into the computer, swiping the card through the slot and frowning at the screen.

Shannon seemed to heave a sigh of relief from beside Sayid as he waited patiently for his own turn to pay and she turned slightly, catching his eye and flashing him a small smile.

"Didn't have any cash on me. My brother bought my ticket for me." she illuminated and once more Sayid nodded with polite interest.

"I'm sorry, Madam. I can't accept this card." the woman behind the desk announced drawing both of their stares back to her in a flash.

"What!" Shannon demanded, panic once again creasing her brow. "What's wrong with it?"

"This isn't your card, Ma'am. It's registered in the name of a Mr. B. Hadley." her eyes, dark blue and somewhat gloating, glared up at Shannon's stricken face.

"Sht! That's the wrong one. Can't I just give you the pin number or something?" she cursed once more, snatching the card back from the woman and rifling through her purse once more.

"I'm sorry, Madam. I can't allow that."

Shannon ground her teeth together visibly, forcing herself not to glance up and witness the smug look that she could sense was on the brown haired woman's face.

"I can't find my other card…Do you have a cash machine around this place?" she asked finally, giving up her attempts to find a card that obviously was not in her bag.

"It's across the terminal, Madam. But I can't guarantee your ticket if someone else purchases it before you return."

To Sayid's eyes it looked as if the airport worker was enjoying herself entirely too much at the younger woman's expense, whereas Shannon herself simply regarded her with a cool glare. If looks could kill, Shannon it seemed, would be a very dangerous woman to cross.

"Can't you just reserve it or something? I'm going to be gone like two minutes!" Shannon tried once more but the brunette shook her head, smirk curling perilously close to becoming a fully fledged sneer upon her red lips.

"Sorry, Miss. It's against airport policy. First come, first served."

Shannon swore once more beneath her breath, shooting a glance at Sayid. Her eyes seemed to cloud over with hidden emotion at her circumstances, though she made an effort at providing him with a bright, nonchalant smile.

"Looks like this is where we go our separate ways, huh?" she sighed, slipping her bag onto her shoulder and shrugging and beginning to step away from the desk. "Thanks for helping me out again, Sayid. And I am sorry about…before. It was nice to meet you."

Sayid returned both her smile and her words as he watched her move out into the bustling airport. Guilt clawed its way up his throat. He'd made her miss her flight to begin with, by starting an argument that he really shouldn't have. And now she was stuck in Sydney, possibly until the nest day or whenever they could fit her onto another flight. Perhaps even until there was a staff shift change and the worker who had so obviously taken a dislike to Shannon had ended her working day.

"That will be eight hundred and sixty five dollars, Sir." he was vaguely aware of her voice as she tried to gain his attention, but he glanced over his shoulder once more, at Shannon's retreating form, head bent as she rummaged through her bag once more. He should really do something about it. He had enough money, given to him to aid him in his search for Nadia in L.A. To set him on his feet once he arrived there. He had to do something to help her. He owed her that much, for splitting her from her brother and landing her stuck there at first with him for company and then by herself.

"Shannon!" he was surprised that his voice carried across to her over the din of the many travellers and customers. Her head whipped around in his direction, eyebrows raised in confusion and hand poised with her cell-phone clasped tightly in it. "Please wait one moment." he pleaded with the receptionist before beckoning to the blonde girl with a wave of his hand and a smile upon his face. "Let me pay for your ticket now. To make sure that you get your place upon this flight. Then pay me back with the money when you have drawn it from the cash machine."

"Really?" her eyes brightened more as she moved back to his side. "You'd do that for me? But I was a bitch to you before."

A snort from behind the sales desk went ignored by them both, much to the brunette's exasperation. Instead Sayid nodded.

"I made you miss your flight with your brother." he offered and Shannon rolled her eyes at the mention of Boone.

"Not that that is much of a disappointment." she mumbled, almost too low for Sayid to hear but she smiled at him, brightly, changing the subject. "Thanks for doing this. It's twice now that you've saved my ass."

"Three times." he corrected handing over his money and flashing a dark eyed glance up at Shannon as she stood behind his shoulder. "If you include saving you from your brother's company. You speak as if it is hell to be with him, though surely it can't be all that bad to spend a fourteen hour flight with him."

Shannon gave a light laugh that lit her face entirely.

"That's a good one. You're a funny guy." she snorted, brushing hair from her eyes as she watched him thank the women behind the desk, who shot Shannon a dark look. "You obviously don't know my brother."

He turned, lips curling gently as he handed her a ticket, keeping hold of it for a little longer than was necessary as she tugged at it.

"Perhaps that is for the best seeing as he did try to buy my silence."

Shannon's cheeks flushed briefly with embarrassment at Boone's actions on her behalf and cleared her throat beginning to walk out into the airport once more.

"Lets go an get that money for you." she responded, changing the subject swiftly and though her sudden skittishness confused Sayid, he nodded and followed her.

-oOo- 


End file.
